Love is Blind

Some dogs need more than unconditional love

Vets across Australia care for dogs with all types of needs. Unfortunately, some dogs have serious health and welfare problems simply because they’ve been bred to look a certain way.

Love is Blind is a joint initiative of the Australian Veterinary Association and the RSPCA. We’re raising public awareness about the animal welfare problems caused by exaggerated physical features such as brachycephaly, short limbs and excessive skin wrinkling, and how these problems can be prevented.

This campaign calls for everyone including vets, breeders, and owners to work together to address these issues.

It encourages dog breeders to avoid selecting for exaggerated features that compromise dog welfare, and prospective puppy buyers to help by choosing not to buy puppies with exaggerations that cause welfare problems. Owners and breeders alike love these dog breeds, but we need to ensure that good health and a good quality of life are prioritised above physical appearance.

Some breeders are aware of these problems and are working to address them. The Australian National Kennel Council has developed screening initiatives for a range of these issues. Potential owners should source dogs from the responsible, registered breeders who participate in such screening programs and avoid buying online from unregistered breeders, or worse, puppy farms.